Chapter 5 THE DEAD SHOULD REMAIN DEAD

Aria’s POV

“Hey, new girl.”

The voice snapped through the hallway and made me turn before I could stop myself.

A girl leaned against the stone wall a few steps away, arms crossed, head tilted like she was already bored. Her hair was pulled back tight, and her eyes moved over me slowly, the way people look at things they plan to break.

“Uhm… hi?” The word slipped out thin and unsure.

My fingers tightened around the metal token Kael had pressed into my hand earlier. I kept it hidden against my palm, like it might bite if I let go.

From somewhere behind the wall, another voice floated out, lazy and sharp at the same time.

“Rassari, I told you she’s a weirdo. All new ones are. We don’t have time for this.”

My chest tightened.

That voice.

It scraped against something buried deep in my head. A sound I knew. A sound I hated. One tied to memories I had shoved so far down I told myself they were dead.

I swallowed.

“Laya,” Rassari drawled, her mouth curling into something close to a smile, “you should see this one.”

“Oh, whatever.”

Footsteps shifted behind the wall, slow and unbothered.

Rassari pushed off the stone and started circling me. Not close enough to touch at first. Just enough that I could feel her eyes on my skin, picking me apart. Her fingers lifted, tracing the air near my neck, close enough that I flinched.

“What’s so special about you, little shit?” Her voice dropped. “Why does Kael keep looking at you like that?”

My throat went dry.

The words Kael had said earlier echoed in my head, sharp and urgent.

“If anyone stops you, show them this.”

Before I could second guess myself, I yanked the metal from my grip and shoved it forward between us.

Rassari froze.

Her eyes dropped to the token.

The change was instant.

The mocking look slipped. Something darker took its place.

“…That,” she muttered, lifting her gaze slowly back to my face, “where did you get that?”

I nodded once, my heart pounding so loud I was sure they could hear it. “Kael gave it to me.”

The air shifted.

Her jaw tightened. Her fingers curled at her sides like she wanted to grab me and couldn’t decide where to start.

“He gave you that?” The words came out thick, heavy with something ugly. “You?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I just stood there, smaller than ever, wishing my feet would move.

Behind her, the footsteps stopped.

Then the other girl stepped into view.

The moment I saw her face, the memory snapped into place.

The sneer. The eyes. The way she used to look at me back in the Storm Kingdom, like hurting me was a habit she never got tired of.

I thought I killed her? 

My stomach dropped.

I had watched her die.

Not guessed. Not hoped. I remembered it too clearly. The weight of the dagger in my hand, heavier than it should have been. 

The way her body had jerked once before going still. 

Blood had soaked into the dirt beneath her, dark and fast, steaming in the cold air of the Storm Kingdom.

She had looked surprised more than afraid. Like she never believed I would actually do it.

Her other eye had been gone by then. That was my fault too.

I remembered stepping back, my hands shaking so badly I thought I might drop the blade. I remembered waiting for her chest to rise again.

It never did.

And now she was standing in front of me. Breathing and watching me like she always had.

She looked exactly the same except from her left eye gone.

Her gaze slid from Rassari to me, then down to the token still clenched in my shaking hand.

For the first time since they stopped me, she went quiet.

“…You,” Laya said slowly.

Now it makes sense why I was truly sent here. They wanted me dead!

Laya started walking toward me like she had all the time in the world to enjoy watching me freeze. 

My stomach dropped and my hand clenched the metal Kael had pressed into my palm. I held it tight, wishing it could bite anyone who tried to hurt me.

Rassari’s eyes bounced between us. “Do you two know each other?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Yes,” Laya said, and the cruel smile she wore made my chest tighten. “She’s the girl I’ve been telling you about. The one who made me lose my eye.”

I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight. “…Vianka” I whispered without thinking, my voice trembling.

Her smile vanished. The knife in her hand appeared like it had always been waiting. She lifted it slowly, aiming for my jaw.

“That name is dead,” she said, her lips curling. “Call me Laya now.”

Rassari leaned closer, eyes glinting, lips curling into something cruel. “Look at her shaking. Little storm girl thinks she’s brave. I’ll enjoy breaking her.”

I stumbled back, pressing myself against the cold wall. My chest rose and fell fast. My fingers squeezed the token harder. Please, Kael…

My vision narrowed. My heart wanted to jump out of my chest. Then heat slammed into me.

Kael appeared between me and Laya. The knife missed me by inches. I stumbled but stayed on my feet.

His flames danced low around his hands, steady. His eyes locked on them and it held nothing but danger. “Back off.” The words came out of his mouth like a warning m.

Rassari’s lips twisted, dark and sarcastic. “Always showing up for someone who doesn’t matter. Step aside… or I’ll make her wish she was never born.”

Kael shifted slightly, flames flicking like a warning. “I said back off. Now.” His voice left no room for argument.

Rassari’s fingers twitched, ready to strike, but she froze. Their eyes never left me.

Kael turned toward me. Heat pressed against my fear. “You’re already gathering a lot of enemies for yourself,”